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ANALYSIS 



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OF 



RHUBARB. 



By J. H. Salisbury, M. D. 



ALBANY: 

CHARLES VAN BENTHUYSEN, PRINTER. 
1850. 



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EXAMINATION OF RHUBARB. 



General remarks. — Of rhubarb, the following are the principal species 
and varieties in cultivation. The Rheum rhaponticum (common pie 
plant), a native of Asia, introduced in 1575 ; R. undulatum, a native of 
China, introduced into Europe in 1734 ; Elford rhubarb, or scarlet va- 
riety; R. hybridum, a native of Asia, cultivated in 1778; Giant rhu- 
barb, a variety of the rhaponticum ; R. palmatum, or Turkey rhubarb ; 
R. compactum and R. australe. 

Besides the above, there are several varieties cultivated in this coun- 
try, principally derived from the rhaponticum. The first five kinds are 
cultivated entirely for their petioles. Several attempts have been made 
in the western part of Europe, and in this country, to cultivate the root 
of the first and last three mentioned sorts, for medicinal purposes ; but 
without any great degree of success. I do not see, however — if the 
composition of the root and rest of the plant were well known, together 
with its habits, mode of culture, time of gathering, &c. — why success 
might not attend its cultivation in the United States, as well as in 
China and Turkey. The root of good Turkey rhubarb commands now 
m market from three to four dollars the pound. If it could be success- 
fully cultivated here, it would constitute one of our most valuable and 
lucrative articles of trade. 

Uses. — The large succulent petioles are highly esteemed for making 
tarts, pies, jelly, preserves, wine, &c., which resemble much those made 
of apples and gooseberries. The root of several species is highly es- 
teemed in medicine, as a cathartic, possessing mild tonic and astringent 
properties. Among the species used in medicine, are the R. rhaponti- 
cum, R. palmatum, R. compactum, and K. australe. The R. rhapon- 
ticum, and several varieties derived from it, are mostly cultivated in 
this country for their very fine flavored petioles. The root grown in the 
western part of Europe and the United States is less firm, and acquires 
much less medicinal value than the root of the same species grown in 
China, Turkey and Russia. The reason of this difference is not well 
known, but is probably owing to soil, climate, time of gathering and 
mode of culture. 

Composifion of the several parts of the plant. — In this country, the 
several species of rhubarb are cultivated mostly for the petioles, or leaf 



4 

stalks. The texture and flavor of these vary greatly with the soil, mode 
of culture and climate. We should naturally infer that the soil in 
which rhubarb thrives (from its size and rapid growth) must be richly 
supplied with those materials in a soluble form which are found in the 
various organs and tissues of the plant. It is necessary to know then, 
the composition of the plant before we can positively decide what kind 
of soil is best fitted to its growth. The following analyses were made 
with a view of throwing some light upon this subject. 

The Giant rhubarb, a very fine variety of the rhaponticum, cut June 
1st. Plant in flower. Stout growth. The roots were very compact, 
and remarkably large. Furnished by Mr. C. N. Bement, of Albany. 

PERCENTAGE OF WATER, DRY MATTER AND ASH, IN THE SEVERAL PARTS OF 

THE PLANT. 

Root. Stalk. Petioles. Leaf Flowers & 

blades, pedit els. 

Percentage of water, 82.000 89.50 93.465 88.00 86.90 

« dry matter, 18.000 10.50 6.535 12.00. 13.10 

« 'ash, 0.925 1.13 0.940 1.53 1.32 

« ashcalc.ondrymat- 5.194 10.762 14.384 12.75 10.076 

The percentage of water in all parts of the plant is large, amounting 
to from 82 to 93 per cent. The dry matter of the several parts is richly 
supplied with ash. The petioles contain the greatest proportion, and 
the root the least. 



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The analyses have been calculated without the carbonic acid, (this is 
not a constituent of the plant, but is formed during the combustion,) to 
show the real composition of the inorganic matter which actual!}^ exists 
in the plant, and is necessary to its constitution. The stalk and petioles 
contain but a small percentage of silicic acid, while the leaves, flowers, 
pedicels and root contain a respectable quantity. All portions of the 
plant are rich in phosphates, ranging from 19 to 34 per cent, in the 
several parts. The root contains the most, the flowers and pedicels 
stand next in order, the petioles next, the leaves fourth, and the stalk 
contains the least. The lime ranges, in the several parts, from IJ to 
6.7 per cent. ; the magnesia from one-tenth of one per cent, to 3.3 per 
cent. ; the potash from 5.8 to 10.8 percent. ; the soda from 26.5 to 38.75 
per cent. ; and the sulphuric acid from 5 to 12 per cent. 

The analyses show that the ash of this plant is in a great measure 
made up of the phosphates and sulphates of the alkalies. These mak- 
ing up from 69 to 79 per cent of the entire inorganic matter of the plant. 

It will be seen from the above that a soil well suited to nourish and 
sustain vigorously the rhubarb plant, must be peculiarly rich in the 
phosphates and sulphates of the alkalies. Bone dust, plaster, salt and 
ashes afiford the inorganic bodies required by this plant. Besides 
these, decomposing animal and vegetable manures are also needed to 
warm and loosen the soil and facilitate the decomposition and conse- 
quently the solubility of the inorganic materials. 

Proximate organic analysis of the petioles. — Petioles, or leaf stalks 
taken from the plant the first of September : very large and succulent ; 
1^ inches in diameter and 2^ feet long. A variety of the Rhaponticum. 
Furnished by Mr. J. Rathbone, of Kenwood. 

PERCENTAGE OF WATER, DRY MATTER AND ASH. 

Percentage of water, S7.77 

" dry matter, 12.23 

" ash, 2.27 

« ash, calc. on the dry matter, 18.56 

PROXIMATE ORGANIC ANALYSIS. 

With Without 

the water. the water. 

Fibre, with a little starch and chlorophyl, .' 1.265 9.894 

Malic acid and extract, with a little tartaric & oxalic acids, 5.710 44.622 

Dextrine, , 0.550 4.302 

Fibre, 3.235 25.303 

Matter separated from fibre by a weak solution of potash, 
gives the characteristic coior of albumen with sulphuric 

acid, 1.605 12.554 

Albumen, 0.270 2. 1 12 

Casein, 0.150 1.173 

Water, 87.770 

100.655 100. 



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The above specimen is larger and firmer than the one examined the 
first of June and contains less water and a greater percentage of inor- 
ganic matter. The leaves contain a little oxalic and malic acids. The 
oxalic acid is probably in the form of binoxalate of potash and soda. 
The petioles or leaf stalks have a mild, pleasant acid taste. They con- 
tain a large quantity of malic acid with considerable oxalic and a little 
tartaric acid. These acids are most likely in the form of acid salts of 
the alkalies. 

The well known and highly valued medicine called rhubarb is the 
root of several species of Rh^um. It has been analysed by Schratrder, 
Brande, Hornemann, M. Ossian Henry, Schlossberger and Dopping. 
{Pereirah Materia Medicd^ Liebig^s Annalen, Thompson s Vegetable 
Chemistry J U. S. Dispensatory, <^c.) 

It co;itains Rhein. (Syn. Rhabarbaric acid, Rhubarb Yellow, Rheumin.) 
This/s a yellow granular crystalline body, somewhat analogous to chry- 
sophanic acid. It is extracted nearly pure from the root by hot sulphuric 
ether. On carefully evaporating the solution it is obtained in small crys- 
tals which are quite tasteless and insoluble in cold water. It imparts to 
concentrated sulphuric acid a beautiful carmine color ; to solutions of 
ammonia and potash, a fine red, and to soda and lime, a light red hue. 
It is soluble in ether, alcohol and acetic acid, to all of which it imparts a 
deep yellow color ; it is less soluble in cold nitric acid, and but slightly 
soluble in hydrochloric and oxalic acids, all of which it colors yellow. 
On boiling these latter acids, more is taken up, but is again precipitated 
on cooling. It is thrown down from an alkaline solution by sulphuric 
acid in the form of a deep yellow powder, which is nearly or quite 
insoluble in water. It is precipitated by the acetate of lead on stand- 
ing for some time. The neutral salt throws it down in the form of light 
yellow floes, leaving a clear solution slightly tinged with yellow. The 
basic salt throws it down in the form of a red floculent precipitate leav- 
ing a slightly turbid light red solution. 

Aporetin. — A resinous body of a black color, brittle, decomposed at a 
temperature below its point of fusion. 

Erythroretim C,gHg O,. A light yellow crystalline, resinous 
body, soluble in ether and alcohol and volatilized partially by heat with- 
out decomposition. It aflbrds a dull red solution with concentrated 
sulphuric acid, from which it is thrown down in the form of a floculent 
precipitate by water. 

PhcBorctin. C,g Hg Og. A yellowish brown powder quite insolu- 
ble in ether and water, but readily soluble in alcohol. With the alkalies 
it forms a deep red solution from which it is precipitated by the mine- 
ral acids. 



8 

Rkaponticin. A yellow, tasteless, crystalizable body, insoluble in 
ether, but soluble in a large excess of dilute alcohol. Besides the above 
the root also contains chrysophanic acid, a trace of oil or fatty matter, 
starch, gum, mucilage, sugar, woody fibre, pectin, tannic, gallic, oxalic, 
sulphuric and phosphoric acids, together with chlorine, lime, magnesia, 
silica, iron, potash and soda. 

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